Career and Education Opportunities for Medical Laboratory Technicians in Oceanside, California

Oceanside, California provides a wide variety of opportunities, both career and educational, for medical laboratory technicians. There are currently 10,500 working medical laboratory technicians in California; this should grow 17% to about 12,300 working medical laboratory technicians in the state by 2016. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for medical laboratory technicians are expected to grow by about 16.1%. Medical laboratory technicians generally perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

A person working as a medical laboratory technician can expect to earn about $18 per hour or $38,280 per year on average in California and about $17 hourly or $35,380 annually on average in the U.S. as a whole. Compared with people working in the overall category of Healthcare Technical, people working as medical laboratory technicians in California earn less. They earn less than people working in the overall category of Healthcare Technical nationally. Jobs in this field include: cytotechnologist, pharmaceutical laboratory technician, and pathologist assistant.

The Oceanside area is home to fifty-seven schools of higher education, including two within twenty-five miles of Oceanside where you can get a degree as a medical laboratory technician. Given that the most common education level for medical laboratory technicians is an Associate's, or other 2-year degree, it will take about two years to learn to be a medical laboratory technician if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Medical Laboratory Technician

Medical Laboratory Technician video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, medical laboratory technicians perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. They also may work under the supervision of a medical technologist.

Medical laboratory technicians assemble and test sterility of medical laboratory equipment. They also ready standard volumetric solutions and reagents to be combined with samples, following standardized formulas or experimental procedures. Equally important, medical laboratory technicians have to analyze the results of tests and experiments to insure conformity to given requirements, using special mechanical and electrical devices. Finally, medical laboratory technicians conduct chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood and urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to uncover abnormalities or diseases, and enter findings into computer.

Every day, medical laboratory technicians are expected to be able to see details at a very fine level of focus. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for medical laboratory technicians to analyze and record test data to issue reports that use charts, graphs and narratives. They are often called upon to conduct blood tests for transfusion purposes and perform blood counts. They also confer with a pathologist to establish a final diagnosis when abnormal cells are found. They are sometimes expected to conduct chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood and urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to uncover abnormalities or diseases, and enter findings into computer. Somewhat less frequently, medical laboratory technicians are also expected to perform medical research to further control and cure disease.

They also have to be able to obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating and identifying microorganisms for analysis And finally, they sometimes have to analyze the results of tests and experiments to insure conformity to given requirements, using special mechanical and electrical devices.

Like many other jobs, medical laboratory technicians must be thorough and dependable and have exceptional integrity.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Oceanside include:

Cardiac Technician. Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic purposes. May conduct or assist in electrocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary-functions, lung capacity, and similar tests.

Surgical Technician. Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, and help count sponges, needles, and instruments.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Medical Laboratory Technician Training

Kaplan College-Vista - Vista, CA

Kaplan College-Vista, 2022 University Dr, Vista, CA 92083-7736. Kaplan College-Vista is a small college located in Vista, California. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs and has 973 students. Kaplan College-Vista has a one to two year program in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician which graduated ninety students in 2008.

Career College of San Diego - San Diego, CA

Career College of San Diego, 3350 Market St Ste C, San Diego, CA 92102. Career College of San Diego is a small college located in San Diego, California. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs. It has 32 students and an admission rate of 88%. Career College of San Diego has a one to two year program in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant which graduated nine students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Medical Laboratory Technician:
Certification translates to an advantage in the work place.

Medical LabTechnician:
All laboratory professionals, including Medical Technologists, Medical Laboratory Technicians and Medical Laboratory Assistants have long played a vital role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease.

Donor Phlebotomy Technician:
This certification is for current Phlebotomy Technicians who take blood from patients for testing or for a blood bank, prepare samples for testing, and carry out those tests.

Biomedical Electronics Technician:
Biomedical electronics technicians are expected to obtain knowledge of the principles of modern biomedical techniques, the proper procedure in the care, handling and maintenance of biomedical equipment and to display an attitude/behavior expected of an electronics technician who works in a hospital or healthcare environment.

Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant:
The Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant is one of NHA's National Certification Examinations that is designed for only healthcare school graduates and medical professionals.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Oceanside, California

Oceanside, California photo by FlickreviewR

Oceanside is situated in San Diego County, California. It has a population of over 169,684, which has grown by 5.4% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Oceanside, 136, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Oceanside are valued at $388,600 on average, which is far greater than the state average. In 2008, fifty-two new homes were constructed in Oceanside, down from one hundred forty-nine the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Oceanside are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is construction, accommodation and food services, and public administration. The average travel time to work is about 29 minutes. More than 22.2% of Oceanside residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 7.3%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Oceanside is 10.0%, which is less than California's average of 12.3%.

The percentage of Oceanside residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 43.7%, is less than both the national and state average. King of Kins Lutheran Church, Temple Solel and Temple Juda are some of the churches located in Oceanside. The most prominent religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Oceanside is home to the Oceanside Community Center and the Oceanside-Carlsbad Country Club as well as Heritage Village Park and Libby Lake City Park. Shopping centers in the area include Fire Mountain Shopping Center, Rancho del Oro Plaza Shopping Center and Best Plaza Shopping Center. Visitors to Oceanside can choose from Beachwood Motel, Best Western Oceanside Inn and Best Western - Oceanside Inn for temporary stays in the area.